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Monday, April 13, 2015

Bukidnon: Soaking in the Mighty Waterfall of Magubo

“So this is the extreme downhill you talked about", I told Jayvee, our guide and owner of the nearby Ant Farm, as we started our descent along a cliff. “This is just the beginning. It would get steeper and harder later”, he replied with a chuckle. I looked at my outdoor slippers and wondered if it would help me get through this trail.

Earlier that morning, I and my hiking buddies which include my wife Malou and friends Tupe (of the Trekero blog) and Edward, disembarked from the bus in front of ImpalutaoElementary School. Our goal for the day is to visit Magubo Falls, a lesser known adventure destination in this side of Impasugong, Bukidnon. From the highway, we walked a few hundred meters along the unpaved barangay road until we met Jayvee who picked us up with his white multicab.

A few minutes later, we arrived at the Ant Farm which will be our jump off to Magubo. Jayvee, the farm owner, often organize overnight camping and trail hiking for outdoor enthusiasts. After signing the waiver, we wasted no time in starting our hike under the harsh daylight of the sun.

The Ant Farm

The narrow trail flanked by bushes and weeds was fairly easy but the intense summer heat immediately made me sweat. After about 10 minutes, the mostly flat grounds plunged sharply into a cliff where the extreme downhill begins.

Start of the trail

Passing along an almost 90-degree terrain, there is no other way to go down but to hold on to tree trunks, branches, vines and roots. Thankfully, the cliff has plenty of vegetation which helped us secure and balance ourselves as we made our way down. The on-going dry spell also hardened the trail, further minimizing our chances of slipping off our feet.

It took us about 30 minutes to reach the river down below. Despite the exhaustion, I got more and more excited as I could already hear the thundering sound of the water cascades. After a short river trek, we finally saw the hidden beauty of Magubo Falls.

Magubo Falls

With its tall height and powerful cascades, Magubo Falls possesses a beauty that can instantly charm any first time visitor. Its wide and mossy rock walls are carpeted with green vegetation where smaller cascades also sprout. The water plunged directly into a deep and wide pool where one can wade and swim to cool off after the arduous hike.

According to our guide, the volume of water dropping down is noticeably lesser due to the on-going dry season. On rainy months, the cascades would be so powerful that they often find it hard to get closer to the fall's basin. We were fortunate then that we could get nearer and see Magubo up close. So after taking lots of photos, we took a dip at the cold pool and felt refreshed and rejuvenated.

Come lunch time, we went back to the river side where Jayvee and two other companions were cooking eggs and corn grits in a bamboo tube. It was my first time to see this indigenous style of cooking and I got impressed with our guides’ ingenuity and outdoor skills.

After taking our lunch, we rested on the rocks and continue to admire Magubo Falls from the distance. As mentioned by Jayvee, only the local folks and avid hikers were able to frequent this place. I love it that way as I feel that this kind of place should not be exposed to mass tourism to preserve its natural environment. Magubo Falls is one of those destinations reserved only for the few who are willing to tackle off –the-beaten paths. And because getting here involves a difficult trek, the experience of seeing it with your own eyes is even more rewarding.